North America and China continue to wait for the advent of Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme with bated breath, but it seems Doctor Strange is already off to a strong start at the international box office after scoring $86 million overseas.
That’s considerably higher than initial projections, according to Deadline, and actually places Scott Derrickson 49 percent ahead of Ant-Man, 37 percent ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy, and 23 percent ahead of Captain America: The Winter Soldier across the same period. It should be noted that Deadline’s comparative analysis used the current exchange rate, but the outlet did note that a “combination of interest in the fresh character, the visual effects and Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular Sorcerer Supreme helped the Doctor prescribe what is the best offshore opening of the fall season.”
Without much competition to speak of – save for the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on November 18, that is – Doctor Strange looks set to enjoy a stellar run at the international box office from here on out. Couple this with the fact that Strange is still to release across both North America and China – two of the biggest film markets on the planet – and things are certainly looking good for the Sorcerer Supreme. Surely that early chatter of a sequel has been vindicated by now?
Marvel’s Doctor Strange arrives on these shores come November 4. Our review hailed Scott Derrickson’s mind-bending feature as a visual treat, even if the origin story buried beneath the spectacle leaves much to be desired.
